HurricaneMaine

Brisbane

After arriving in Brisbane I spent quite a bit of time working at grading and adding two weeks of lessons for the online learning we are doing during the extended break. Time for a break from the computer.

I booked a tour for the afternoon so that I could get out and stretch my legs. The Story Bridge Adventure Climb looked interesting and it was a fair walk to it as well.

The bridge was built during the Great Depression using material sourced from Australia. It was a public works project that allowed employment and job skill training. It is a cantilever bridge and matters that it has no posts in the river itself.

My tour guide was great and provided all kinds of information about Brisbane which I will scatter about below.

We climbed up to a peak in the bridge and then towards the center before turning around and coming back the other side. You are tethered the whole way for safety.

Looking down at traffic at the halfway point of the walk.

On the way there I left the apartment building I’m staying at. I’m so glad to have a kitchen and cook for a few days. It was right next to the river and the Riverwalk that goes along the Brisbane River. There are paths on both sides of the river for easy travel and ferry boats to go from bank to bank.

There is Mangrove forest along the edges.

The peace pagoda created by the Nepalese. There is beautiful intricate carvings and these pagodas can be found in other areas around the world.

In South Bank there are a few pools and a sand beach that people can swim in.

Kangaroo cliffs at kangaroo point. It gets its name when the area was first settled the kangaroos would eat all the grass farmers wanted fur their sheep, do they corralled them to the this area.

There are beautiful gardens along the walk through South Branch.

There is also art work scattered around.

I thought this lizard was posing. Instead he was catching insects.

Near the end of my walk they had information on the settling of the area. It was credited to James Warner but actually 4 felons who integrated with the aborigines on Moreton Island used to row a canoe around the area and found the opening to the Brisbane River which at that time was difficult to find. They left maps and notes that were discovered much later.

I love how even people here are questioning the history we were taught. As in America, they were horrible to the aborigines and we made our own story.

Behind me is the four felons brewery. Of course I stopped later.

The Customs House. Now a restaurant is there but you can go inside to see.

This is the bridge I climbed as I look from the other side of the river.

Now that it is night, there are beautiful lights here. This was taken on a pedestrian bridge across the water as I headed back to the South Bank from the North.

The Ferris wheel on the South Bank. It is to give a great view of Brisbane as well.

The colours on this bridge is the lighting at night.

Now to check on student work, solve problems, and prepare for an island visit tomorrow.

More from Gold Coast, Australia

I stayed at the Marriott in Surfers Paradise north. They have their own salt water reef pool. They pump water in from the inlet behind the hotel, filter it, and use ozone to kill the bacteria. The reef pool has fish and you can swim with them. I swam there a couple times.

The bottom of the reef pool is sand and part is simulated coral.

They have a fish feeding program in the morning to see and feed the reef fish.

Between posting and grading assignments as we are using online learning while school is closed, I took a short afternoon tour to the rainforests of Springbrook and natural bridge as well as the Goondawanna rainforest. It was a rainy overcast day.

On the way we saw a Padi Melon wallaby in the park along the side of the road.

He is pretty well camouflaged. I had to make the picture larger to see him.

This area was an erupted volcano that water eventually eroded some of the rock leaving behind rock not easily eroded.

The light brown is a strangler fig that grows from the top down from seeds dropped by birds. It eventually kills the tree it grows against that takes 150 years.

This is the outside of strangler fig that had killed the inner tree. The fig will continue to live another 400 years after.

This is the home of a big spider that is the size of the hole. It weaves a web inside connected to the front which makes a trap door. It senses movement and opens the door to grab prey. Not fatal bites to us but painful.

Under the natural bridge is a cave with bats. They eat insects.

We then climbed to the top to see the sources of the waterfall.

We saw several species of figs. This one had a red skin and was yellow on the inside. It was very sweet and a good tasting fig.

Back at the hotel, I went back to grading assignments when I heard a commotion outside. Two birds lighted on my balcony and kept me company for awhile.

Next I head back to Brisbane for a few days.

Great Barrier Reef

When I realized that the southernmost part of the Great Barrier Reef was closer than traveling all the way to Cairns I was excited. Lady Elliot island is a really cool island that is the only one in the reef chain that has it’s own runway.

It is not a cheap trip. It was 829AUD or about $567 USD. It includes hotel pickup, transport by air, drinks, food, and snorkeling. For those wanting to do this it is cheaper from the Gold Coast than from Brisbane. I was intending to do the trip in Brisbane so extended my stay here at the Gold Coast instead. I was excited!

We arrived at the airport in Coolangatta. It was a small plane and as I was by myself I sat in the copilot seat which was awesome.

Some great sights at first and we flew for about 2 hours. Where we were heading was a tiny dot on the panel.

The end of the pink line is the island. You can’t even see the island as the line is the same thickness!

And then I saw the island… Yes it is small. Good thing the plane is small too.

The runway runs from bottom right to top left of the picture.

This island is in a protected green zone. They have solar panels for all of their electricity needs and also use it to distill Sea water for their own drinking water. It is a reef education center, protected sea turtle area, and an eco resort.

You can see the solar panels at the end of the sidewalk running along to the right.

This island is gorgeous. It would be great to stay here for a few days in the resort.

After storing our things and a little look around, we were given snorkeling gear and met for the glass bottom boat tour and snorkeling.

In the glass bottom boat we saw a Manta Ray. It was enormous and they do not sing like sting rays do. The pictures are a little fuzzy as they are taken through glass and water.

Below are other pictures of coral from the glass bottom boat.

Then it was time to snorkel. It was amazing. I’m glad I remembered my go pro (especially since Australia was not planned on this trip. The closing of school due to the coronavirus allowed me this time.)

I took some great video following green Sea turtles and schools of fish.

Sea turtle nesting sites. They are marked with the dates the eggs are laid so when they hatch they are monitored and they can be assisted making it to the Sea.

They offered a really yummy lunch and we were free to explore or snorkel again. I met some great people while visiting the island.

Of course I snorkeled again. Half of our 12 hour day was spent in traveling to and from the island. It was totally worth it. Seeing the Great Barrier Reef was amazing.

Currumbin wildlife sanctuary

So I’m in Australia. The coronavirus had me alter my flight plans and avoid China. It will make it easier to go other places.

The first night in Australia I stayed at a different hotel and used the time in the morning to work on setting up online lessons for my biology students. After several hours I went for a short walk down to the beach then packed to move to another hotel (the first night was so expensive there because it was a weekend). The first hotel was retro and swanky.

On my walk I saw an Ibis. It is caring plastic in it’s mouth. It saddens me.

After checking into the Marriott, I headed to find a tour I could do.

Carrumbin wildlife sanctuary.

I don’t like animals on display but they focus on education, rebreeding programs, and environmental action. You know when the lizards and birds are all walking free it’s a good place.

These two were having a stand of when I arrived.

Koalas

Yes. I had to pay to get a picture and hold a koala. They only do this for 30 minutes. Hey name is Snow. They only pose a few times a week.

Mama and baby. I watched them for awhile.

Grassland Kangaroos

They are free to rain around and take breaks whenever they want.

Outback kangaroos

These are mostly in the desert area in the outback. They require less food and water. These guys were so full it was difficult to find one that would eat.

I am at the edge of the area where they can go to get away from people. This one came out to see if I had food.

This Joey came out to see us while I was talking to one of the volunteers.

Tasmanian devil

These guys are so endangered did to Los of habitat and a disease that causes facial deformity that is fatal.

Visitors while I ate lunch. They really wanted good and would edge around closer. I’m

Alligators

Capybara

Dingo

Echidna or Spiny Anteater

Emus

Red panda

These guys are also critically endangered for to habitat loss.

Tree kangaroo

Wombat den

It is tough to see as it was a nocturnal exhibit.

Lorikeet

These birds are wild but they are used to the daily feeding of nectar and will congregate in the trees and sweep down to feed from the plates. To their little tongues are like paint brushes. No

Birds. Most of the birds come from an ecotone where 2 different biomes meet. Here the rainforest and the open woodland offers many places for the birds to live.

Cotton top Tamarin

Lizards

Aboriginal show

A didgeridoo. Sounds are made by cycling in and out breathing continuously.

The big lizard is not real but they one in it’s back is!

Back to Auckland: Katikati, Mt. Eden, and Blues vs. Chiefs rugby

After leaving for Auckland and the 3 hour trip, we looked for interesting places to stop.

First was a coffee shop downtown that had great coffee and doughnuts on Fridays. Mine was a marscapone, rosemary, and apricot filled. It was yummy but it has been 3/4 year since my last donut. Now I remember why.

Katikati is a small town of 8000 that is new Zealand’s #1 small town. We saw a sign that it has mural art. It has graphic art on the buildings and worthy of a stop.

They built a restroom and little garden area to reproduce a Kauri bush shed and dam. This is one of the oldest bush settlements and they had photographs of original buildings and bush workers.

Back in Auckland we headed to Eden park. The Australian and Pacific tectonic plates meet in this area 200 km below the Sea. It’s activity has created many volcanoes and islands. Auckland has over 50 volcanoes.

Mt. Eden is also known as Maungawhau and was formed by two simultaneous eruptions 28,000 years ago. Fire fountaining created what we saw as it spewed volcanic ash which collected around it creating a cone.

1000 years ago, the Maori people arrived by canoe, Waka, from the Haiweke/Polynesian island they originated. Aotearoa which is New Zealand was formed.

Over the years, settlers had wars and took over indigenous land. After some time the 14 lands (maunga) was restored to the 13 Maori tribes known as iwi. It is collective ownership that allows for shared responsibility and unity. A trust was created and an authority to oversee it.

This is why New Zealand is one of the few or only places that embraces and protects indigenous culture.

Eden Park is where we will be going to the rugby game tonight. It is the national stadium.

Charred broccoli salad and falafel with labne and eggplant.

After, we walked to the stadium. I’ve never been to a rugby match before.

The Blues lost. The Chiefs are from Tauranga where we stayed the last few days.

Tuataura and Mt. Maunganui

The last days we spent at Tuataura with friends of Caroline’s. They have a beautiful home and family. They also have 2 gorgeous cats. It was nice to talk to other fellow educators.

We went to climb the nearest mountain next to the beach. An easy climb compared to Tongariro.

Yes this area is in the Ring of Fire and earthquakes, eruptions, and tsunamis happen.

Afterwards we saw a mineral pool place and went in. They had two massage appointments available right away. My shoulders needed a massage! We followed up with a soak in the mineral pool and it was great. Bath temperature water is the best! Afterwards was spent on the beach.

The coronavirus had hit China and other areas. We are required to wear masks in public places back in China. I will need this for the airplane.

We came back to the same area the next day. This time I rented a paddle board. It was pretty rough waves and was quite the workout.

Walking around I saw some pretty cool signs and items. We shopped and looked around.

Seagulls fighting over food left from patrons outside.

The Hairy Maclary and friends sculpture at the waterfront. This is from a children’s book. Hairy Maclary is the dog jumping on the post.

Next we travel back to Auckland. Plans are to watch a rugby game featuring The Blues vs. Chiefs. It is the opening game of the season.

Skydiving Queenstown

I was afraid of the spring in the edge of the plane waiting to jump out. It was the easiest part. So was the tumbling in the air for a few seconds. What was difficult was the force on your face and body as you free fall. It was a little more difficult to breath but not too bad. Before you knew it the parachute was opened and you were floating. Of course, Will my transfer buddy loved to do done on the air. It turned my stomach a bit, but I survived.

It was awesome and New Zealand does not disappoint. This place is awesome and if you sell adventure it is here!

Hobbiton

Note: there are a lot of pictures in this post. How could I not take pictures of everything?

We headed from Rotorua towards Hobbiton and stopped at a little town called Tirau. There we wandered around and stopped for coffee.

Then we headed to Matamata.

I had booked a buffet lunch to eat before the Hobbit tour. We arrived then met the tour guide and boarded a bus. We watched movie clips and interviews with Peter Jackson about the set. It is still located on a farmers land. The two are partners for Hobbiton. The hills, lake, and tree were the reason this site was chosen.

Going to lunch…

After lunch we headed on the tour. The NZ army was hired to build the road needed to go in and out of the set.

We learned how sets were made and how they made moss looks realistic. Everything is of poly wood to last longer.

We were told about the two different sizes of Hobbit holes. They would use the small ones to photograph Gandalf and the large ones for the hobbits to achieve the difference in size of the characters.

The attention to detail was amazing including an actual garden.

This is the party tree from the movie that we see for Bilboa’s birthday and other clips from the movies. It is very old.

This tree is fake. The leaves were taken off and fake leaves from Taiwan were purchased to put on the tree. Afterwards the color of the leaves was not quite right and Jackson hired people to paint the leaves to be the perfect color. Bilboa’s house is beneath it.

The view from Bilboa’s door. In the movie he looks over to see a sunset. It is actually a sunrise. They shot the sequence backwards then played it in reverse.

Bilboa’s front door. Notice it is a larger hole to make the actor appear smaller.

This Hobbit hole is smaller and Gandalf would stand here to appear larger.

How they made the polywood look like real wood and moss so realistic is amazing.

This is Sam’s house. Rosie met him here in the movie and there were 2 children. They are the actual children of the two actors (actors were not married together though.)

On the party field below the big tree. This was originally swamp land and had to be raised 18 feet by filling with dirt.

The Green Dragon Inn. We had a drink here and could choose from an ale, stout, or 2 non alcoholic ciders.

These are pictures from inside the Green Dragon Inn. Filming nside of Hobbit holes in the movies was completed on a sound stage in Wellington.

And then the tour was done! We left on a bus and continued our drive to Tauranga and the last of our vacation.

Tamaki Maori cultural show and Hangi feast

We booked tickets to the Tamaki village. They pick you up at your hotel and take you to a visitors center in town for a brief introduction of Maori legend. On our tickets was a name of a tribe. Ours was Tui. That is the bus you ride. Each bus chooses a make leader to be chief and they are briefed on the opening ceremony. We also practice Maori phrases like: “Kia ora” (hello) and “ka Pai” (okay). The bus driver was hilarious.

Out at the village, the chiefs stand in front and Maori warriors do a trial dance as a challenge. When they drop a leaf in front of a chief, they pick it up and they have been accepted.

After the ceremony the Tamaki chief welcomes all to enter the village.

We follow our chief from the bus into the village and stay together as a group. The chief can pick the people who will volunteer in the learning experiences. They were very informative and humorous.

Here we learned about wood carving and what they mean as well as the tattoos that they have. They used to be permanent but not as easy to integrate in society today. Tattoos originated with the Maori who went on to be indigenous people throughout the Pacific.

We learned about storytelling through dance and hand movement. These balls made sounds and they had very technical movements with them. Women were chosen to try their hand at it.

Flax is used to make baskets with the leaves and they showed how they step the outer lead off of the fiber inside.

We learned about games that taught hand eye coordination as well as moving of the hands and the arms to make them strong to handle weapons. People from our tribe were chosen to participate.

We are outside in the village and it was just beautiful.

They tried reaching all the men in our pretend village the haka dance. Pretty funny. The real dance is on video below.

We ate a Hangi dinner which was cooked under the ground usually but for us in steel bins on to of the hot Earth. It had a wood fired taste to the food and was delicious. They had lamb and chicken which I did not eat but also had mussels and fish. We also had pavlova and honey called for dessert.

On the way home the bus driver was hilarious singing songs like wheels on the bus… At one point he kept going around and around the round about while he sang!

Te Puia, Maori cultural center

This center in Rotorua has hot springs, geysers, and mud pools as well as Maori statues, arts, and culture.

Be careful when sitting! These are active vents and warm stones.

This is a natural stream vent cooker that the Maori uses to cook food. Our food tonight will be cooked this way. It can cook corn on the cob in 10 minutes. It uses heart from the ground to cook food.

Whanaaungatanga statue that celebrates kinship which is essential in Maori.

According to legend, this pool was used by leaders of the Maori tribe and is sacred. However it has the pH of battery acid.

Puarenga stream. 3 streams feed in here and water quality had declined from industry. Finally water quality has improved and fish have returned.

Some weavings are made to look like the NZ bird, the kiwi. These would take many years to complete.

After touring the center we headed to the Best western Braeside Rotorua. We have a hot tub on a deck. This is a nice place to stay (all places on this trip have been great actually). Tonight we go to a traditional Maori great and dance celebration.